Hamilton Fish of The New Republic Goes on Leave After Women’s Complaints

Hamilton Fish, president and publisher of The New Republic.CreditCreditAstrid Stawiarz/Getty Images

Hamilton Fish, the president and publisher of The New Republic, is taking a leave of absence pending an investigation into complaints by female employees at the magazine, according to a letter sent to its staff on Sunday night.

In the letter, Win McCormack, the magazine’s owner, said he had asked Mr. Fish to “remain on a leave of absence,” effective immediately, pending an independent investigation into recent complaints from women concerning interactions with Mr. Fish.

“I have been made aware that a number of employees have come forward in the last few days to express concern about certain workplace interactions that have created an uncomfortable environment for them,” Mr. McCormack wrote. “As I understand them, these concerns relate specifically to interactions between Ham Fish and a number of women employees.”

Mr. McCormack added: “I appreciate the candor our employees have displayed in coming forward with their concerns, and I take the concerns very seriously.”

When reached by email, Mr. Fish declined to comment.

The concerns about Mr. Fish’s behavior are the latest in a torrent of complaints by women about sexual misconduct by powerful men in the media industry that have emerged in the three weeks since reports surfaced about the alleged sexual misconduct of the Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

The complaints from female employees about Mr. Fish also come less than a week after Leon Wieseltier, a prominent longtime editor at The New Republic, issued an apology after a number of women accused him of sexual misconduct.

Mr. Fish, who has also served as publisher of The Washington Spectator and The Nation, was named publisher of The New Republic in early 2016. In his letter on Sunday, Mr. McCormack said that J. J. Gould, the magazine’s editor, would take on the role of acting president and that Art Stupar, the magazine’s associate publisher, would serve as acting publisher.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A10 of the New York edition with the headline: Complaints Lead Publisher To Take Leave of Absence. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe